A Princess or a Dancer?
by LegendsBleedRed
Summary: What if Queen Amberly's first child was not a miscarriage, but Prince Hayden Jacob Schreave? What if a 5 learned to dance and became a 3 with a dance studio? What if when said Prince turned 19, said dancer ended up at the palace, competing for the heart of a man and a crown, when all she wants to do is dance? Can she choose? Is she a princess or a dancer?
1. Skylar Roseabelle of Kent, 3

**A Dancer or a Princess?**

**By: **Musicgirl9624

**_Summary: _**_My name is Skylar Roseabelle, I am 17 years old, and I live for dance. My family runs a dance school that I teach, and I am Top Dancer in Kent. Dance is my life. So how will my life go now that I have been selected to compete for the heart of Prince Hayden Schreave? Am I a dancer or am I a princess?_

**_Summary II: _**_What if Queen Amberly's first child was not a miscarriage, but Prince Hayden Jacob Schreave? What if a 5 learned to dance and became a 3 with a dance studio? What if when said Prince turned 19, said dancer ended up at the palace, competing for the heart of a man and a crown, when all she wants to do is dance? Can she choose? Is she a princess or a dancer?_

**Disclaimer: **I own most characters, but universe rights to Kiera Cass. The Royal Family is all Kiera's. Any other characters will be disclaimed if needed.

**POV: **Most of this will be in Skylar's POV, it will change every now and then, but I will always clarify.

**Tense: **Okay, I'm REALLY bad at keeping my tense! I feel like a Twelve-year-old when it comes to tense so really sorry! I will try to keep this in present tense, but there is guaranteed to be some past tense in there, so please don't kill me!

**I've been writing this story for about a year, pretty slowly. The writing starts off pretty bad, but picks up around chapter 4. Please don't let this discourage you!**

**[Skylar's POV]**

"Five, six-and-seven, eight. C'mon girls I just want 2 pirouettes! You've done it before!" I sigh.

Some college scouts from Angeles saw me dance and are now offering to come to the studio looking for dancers. I have a fully-funded college spot secured, and I was going to start at the end of the year.

So the college scouts are coming to the studio and the intermediate level threes can't get their doubles.

"Can you show us?" One of them asks. I close my eyes for a brief second and then got into the position, doing a single, double, triple and quad. "Okay girls, you just need to remember to turn mostly from your back, not your feet!"

They all go again, about half of them getting it. I smile. "See! You can do it!"

I tell them to go through the syllabus exercise. While they are doing that, I walk around trying to help. I stop at one of the youngest dancers in this class.

"Phoebe, try making your supporting leg straighter. I has to be like a pole." She giggles as I try to help her fix it.

"Okay, now try." I smile as she does her double and almost lands it. "Try to not jump it as much, you're doing great!"

"Thanks Miss Sky," She says, smiling.

I pat her shoulder and look for the next girl I need to help. My eyes immediately find Christina, one of the studios best dancers. She almost competes with me, which is saying something.

I walk over and see her trying to land her quad. I smile. "Always the eager one, aren't you?"

She turns to face me. "Yep, But I can't land this." I get her to show me how much she can do.

"That's really good! Just where are you spotting?"

She gives me a mock-guilty look. "Spotting. I'm on it."

She lands the quad-spotting. I smile. "Yes, you are."

"Doing great ladies! I am just going to steal your teacher for a moment!" I hear a familiar voice say. I smile at my brother Jon as he leads me into the hall.

"They're doing so well!" He says. I sigh. "They are, but they need a little push. I don't have time to give them private or even extra lessons with school."

John looks at me for a moment. "Maybe we could get a new teacher!"

I think about this. We don't really have enough money right now to pay for one. "I'll look into it."

"I just wanted to ask, are you guys watching the selection choosing thing on the report tonight?" He asks.

"Yeah why?"

"Record it for me?"

"Sure." I hug Jon and walk back into the studio.

"Okay guys, good work today! Go freshen up if you want to catch the report at six."

They all thank me and warm down before walking back to the dorm hall.

"C'mon girls! If you want to watch the selection girls get picked come into the studio!" I shout down the dorm hall.

My name is Skylar Roseabelle, I am 17 years old, and I live for dance. I used to be a 5, but a family of 2's loved me and wanted me to teach their daughter. They then helped us to buy our way up to 3's. I now run a dance school that has a boarding section for any students who need a place to stay.

All the girls come running down the hall and into the studio where I had dragged the TV in so we could watch.

I sit on a chair alongside the two's daughter and my best friend, Delilah (Lilah); and everyone else sat on the floor with pillows.

The screen comes to life and the first thing I see is Gavril. The girls squeal.

"OOH! What if one of you gets selected?" One of the younger girls Kate asks.

"We won't get picked. Neither of us entered." Lilah says next to me.

Jemima looks away quickly, and Kate smiles. "Umm, we sort of entered you…"

I gaped at them. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, we did it, so…yes."

I sighed and leaned back in my chair. I had nothing to worry about, there were probably thousands of girls from Kent who entered. I won't get picked. I won't get picked.

I kept repeating this to myself, when Gavril introduced Prince Hayden.

Even though I didn't want to be picked, no one in their right mind would miss a chance to just admire the Prince. Golden hair, beautiful hazel-green eyes. Let's face it. He was hot.

"Hello Ladies and gentlemen of Ilea! As most of you know, I recently turned 19. This means I am about to have my selection. I have not seen any of these girls before so good luck to every girl out there!" He sits back down and a box appears at the top of the screen with his face to show his reactions.

Then the faces start.

"Summer Evans of Hansport; 4" A girl with bleach blonde hair and emerald green eyes appears.

"Monica Pratt of Whites; 2." You can tell she is a two. Dyed brown hair sporting designer glasses with brown eyes.

"Shannon Harley of Ottaro; 3" Dirty blonde hair with a light tan and blue eyes.

"Tessa Kelly of Labrador; 3" Hayden's eyebrows go up.

"Odette Toil of Belcourt; 5" Her hair is kind of an auburn colour, not red but not brown. She has grey-ish eyes.

"Clara Owell of Lakedon; 4" The only natural brunette so far.

"Delia Shores of Dakota; 2" She's gorgeous. Blonde hair, sea blue eyes and almost invisible pores.

"Rose Harner of Likely; 3" There are a lot of twos and threes in this Selection.

"Mia Lacker of Carolina; 5" She looks just like the Queen.

"Hope Astor of Baffin; 2"

"Jenna Banks of Widston; 4"

"Leah Sacks of Yukon; 2" I scoff at her. She has brown hair that fades to red and a tonne of makeup. Not to mention her complete fake smile. I lean over to Lilah. "Looks like a fak-"

"Skylar Roseabelle of Kent; 3" My head snaps to the screen. Phoebe Squeals. Emma jumps up and down, Lilah starts screaming, the office phone goes. My phone rings, Lilah's phone rings, more squealing and a knock at the door.

"HE SMILED HE SMILED HAYDEN SMILED AT YOUR PICTURE SKY! OH MI GAWD THE PRINCE SMILED AT MY BEST FRIEND!" Lilah screams.

Jon runs into the room. "I was upstairs! YOU GOT PICKED"

"Thanks Jon, would you like to tell me more about myself?" I say sarcastically, snapping out of my stupor.

The phones keep ringing and the knock on the door becomes more frantic.

I sigh, because I know those noises won't stop until I get into the palace.

**NINJA PAGE BREAK!**

The next week is a flurry of palace staff and dance rehearsals.

Yesterday I took the intermediate 3's for 2 hours, and they can get their doubles, it's just the syllabus exercise they're working on now.

In about half an hour another selection official will be here to record a lesson. Great.

I sigh, looking down at the budget. It's no secret how much money selected girls earn, and it's not half bad, but I could be there for three hours or three months. So I'm trying to work out how to best use the first cheque.

Worst of all, we need a teacher for while I'm away. Lilah has agreed to take the juniors, but that's only half the studio.

"You okay?" I hear from the door. I turn to see Jon standing there. I smile and nod.

"I'm just stuck." He comes to sit in front of the desk. "We need a new teacher but I have no clue who to get! We can't pay extremely well, and they need to be here a lot." Jon stands and walks behind me, giving me a massage.

"Thanks." I say after about five minutes. I can think now.

"How about a student?" I lean back in my chair. It's not half bad. And they would have the studio during my usual practice hours for free.

"That's actually a really good idea. What about Christina?"

He smiles. "And there's your solution."

"Thank you so much Jon, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Anything for my little sis who is giving 8's a place to live. I'm proud of you."

I smile and thank him again before heading out to take my intermediate threes. I see I'm here early, so I decide to practice my solo.

It's a dance I choreographed myself about a month ago. It's the dance I planned to use at the opening ceremony next year at the Dance Academy of Illea in Angeles. But now I'm in the selection.

That doesn't mean I can't practice it though.

It's a contemporary routine that includes moves I've come up with myself. It's to the song Thinking Out Loud, and old song from before Illea. I turn on the music and start with a simple arabesque before going into a few pirouettes and a balance on de hour. I loose myself in the music and feel my body moving. I concentrate on actually preforming the dance.

I'm not going to lie, I am an amazing dancer; but I don't have many opportunities outside of Kent to show people that.

After another minute, I finish the dance with a quadruple pirouette with one leg next to my head. I smile. That's probably the best I've ever preformed!

Suddenly I hear a spattering applause behind me.

I turn around to see the intermediate 3's, plus the selection officials gaping at me. I smile sheepishly and mutter a 'thanks'.

The class goes really well, and by the end of it I can't help the huge smile on my face, because I know I'm making a difference. I'm giving the lower castes a chance to make something of themselves.

It's only a small chance, but it's a lot better than what they normally get.


	2. New Choreography

**A/N: Hi guys! Im sorry sorry for the hiatus! I haven't been writing any fan fiction recently but because its the holidays I'm hoping to post more! **

**I've been re-reading all my work, and I have decided that I do not like my formatting, so thats going to change for you web users! **

**Also, I had up to chapter 6 written, but my stupid laptop died so now i have to re-write everything. Yay. NEVER BUY A TOSHIBA **

**Okay so some of you were wondering if i dance, and I just wanted to clarify that I DO dance, and it is in fact my life, as in I do 20 hours a week, so….. yeah. Anyway, here is a long chapter just for you!**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot and a few characters, everything else is Keira's! In the first chapter I mucked up my disclaimer, does anyone know how to change it?**

**[Skylar POV]**

The send-off from Kent was overwhelming to say the least. It's not a small province, and with the majority of it coming to cheer for you when you've never been noticed before is… different. Saying goodbye to the studio was sad, but I know Lilah and Chirstina will take care of things just fine, and Jon is there too.

But saying goodbye to Jon was the hardest. He's always been my rock, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do without him. There were almost tears, thankfully I held them in. The last thing I want to do is make myself look weak and miserable.

Because there is only a few airports dotted around the country, most girls had to drive for a while to get to their plane. But lucky for me, one of those few airports was in Kent. I had to wait for half an hour, but it was okay- I just sat and studied for a bit. I know it sounds stupid, and I'm probably going to regret it later, but I asked to continue some of my schoolwork throughout The Selection. I mean, if I'm not actually going to school, I might as well keep up the grades for when I get back.

Half an hour after I'd arrived, a girl with bleach blonde hair in a high ponytail and emerald eyes arrived. She smiled when she saw me in my Selection Uniform (Black pants with a white top) and made her way to me. "Hi. It's Summer, right?" I said, with only a small amount of hesitation in my voice.

She plonked down in a seat. "Yep, that's me. How do you remember everyone's names? I'm absolutely hopeless with that stuff." She laughs lightly and crosses one leg over the other, leaning into one of the armrests.

"I don't know, I guess I just have a knack for it. I'm Skylar, by the way." I smile, offering her my hand. She accepts it and looks my books on the small coffee table between us.

"You brought your school work?" She asked incredulously. I nodded.

"I wanted to keep my grades up, you know?" I blushed lightly. School was surprisingly important to me, considering I dance every single day.

Leaning forward politely, she glanced at the titles of my books. "AP Maths, AP French, AP History _and _AP Science. Smartie." She joked, laughter evident in her voice. I shrugged, smiling. "So, where are you from?" She asked, leaning back in the lush chair.

"Here, actually. I live about 20 minutes away." I replied. "No huge car rides for me."

"Lucky!" She exclaimed. I'm from Hansport; It took me three hours to get here!" We both laugh lightly.

Just I begin to ask her another question, another girl comes waltzing into the private lounge. Her down and flowing around her shoulders. It starts as a brown colour parted on the side, but gradually fades to a _very _fake looking red. She is wearing bright red lipstick and smokey eyeshadow. Is that really necessary? We are boarding a plane, not going to a fashion show. Suddenly it clicked. Leah Sacks, a 2 from Yukon. I remember that form, unfortunately.

She waltzes over to us, oozing confidence. There is a chair available right next to Summer, but she walks right past it, stopping in a chair two seats away from us.

"I'm Leah." She says, sitting down. "And you ugly bitches are?" My eyes almost budge out of my head. "Ummm…. I'm Skylar." I say awkwardly. She scrunches up her nose.

"Always hated that name. It suits you though. That kind of name, that kind of girl." She sends me a sickly sweet smile before looking away and rolling her eyes, not even acknowledging Summer.

I sigh lightly. This will be fun. Note the sarcasm. The three of us sit in an awkward silence for the next two minutes. _Finally,_ the door opens and in walks a girl with beautiful blue eyes and a blonde shoulder-length hair. I can already see she is a quiet girl but is very regal just by the way she carries herself. Perfect posture, holding her head high but not high enough to be snobby, unlike Leah. "Hello," She says. "My name's Alayah White." She'll fit right in at the palace. Summer smiles from across the coffee table, introducing herself quickly.

"I'm Skylar," I say after she's finished. "Would you like to sit down? Those heels would kill me." I laugh lightly, gesturing to the seat next to me. She makes her way over.

"I'm used to them. My mother is a designer." She tells me, taking a seat. I smile and nod politely.

"Ladies Skylar Roseabelle, Summer Evans, Leah Sacks and Alayah White of The Selection, requesting your presence on platform 1 to board your plane." Is what comes next, over the intercom. Leah gets up and mumbles something incomprehensible before walking outside to the plane. For the brief few seconds that the door is open, I notice a lush carpet with barriers on either side, keeping out screaming people. They're all cheering, holding up signs and taking pictures. I look at Summer, a look of awe on my face. We link arms and head outside following Alayah.

Seeing it is nothing compared to being in the middle of it. My face scans the signs and my face forms what I think is the biggest smile possible. A good third of the signs read things like: _Princess_ _Skylar! _or _Dancer today, Princess tomorrow!_ The perks of being in your hometown I guess. I walk over to groups of people and take pictures, talk and sign autographs for them. I notice one small girl getting pushed back by the crowd and go over to her.

"What's your name, sweetie?" I say gently, smiling at her. She looks at me with pure awe.

"Lily," She says quietly. I see someone, I presume her mother smiling and taking photos.

"Well Lily, I love your hair." I say, looking again at her brunette (the exact same colour of mine) braids pinned up to form a headband on top of her head. "It's very pretty."

She smiles, showing off one missing tooth. "Thanks, I think you're pretty too. I hope you win!" She says, beaming. I smile at her. "Thank you Lily, that mans a lot."

Abruptly, she throws her arms around me in a hug. I falter for a millisecond before returning her embrace. I hear cameras going off all around me and am snapped back to real life. I smile at Lily. "I'm really sorry Lily, but I have to go. Can't be late for the prince, can I?" She immediately nods her had, beaming and turns me around. "Good luck."

I turn around to see Summer standing behind me. "Let's go." She says, and we link arms and climb aboard the plane.

**A/N: Okay, so sorry it's been so long since I've updated, and that this is a shorter chapter, but I have a new laptop now so hopefully updates will be more frequent :) Also, I had up to chapter 6 written but I'm re-writing it. Any suggestions? Review and leave your idea! **

**Xoxo MusicGirl9624 **


	3. Welcome To The Palace Ladies

**A/N: Okay so future me: Don't wait too long to post this! Also I know its taking her a long time to meet the prince, but this story is going to be my 30+ chapter masterpiece so bear with me!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Selection, Kiera Cass does. **

* * *

**{Skylar POV}**

Upon our arrival to the palace, everyone got an unnecessary makeover. I noticed lots of girls were completely changing their hair or eye colour. I think it's kind of ridiculous to be honest. Looking around, I can't help but notice that if everything in here was sold, the money would keep the studio running for a year at the least.

But there are cameras flying around, and I don't want to seem ungrateful, so I try to go with it. I let the stylists straighten my already straight hair and pin it up in a bun with loose waves framing my face. I'm grateful for the bun, it makes me feel more at home. My nails get coated in a light gold colour that shines in the light but is otherwise hard to notice. My makeup is minimal. As in, foundation, light eye shadow and clear lip gloss. And even that's over the top for me.

Because the work they did was so quick, I was one of the first to finish. I glanced around the room before being beckoned over to a seat by a camera crew. I smile and make my way over. It's not that I like the cameras, because trust me, I don't. But I'm not going to be rude. Taking a seat, I smiled at them. "Hi. I'm Skylar. How are you?" I asked politely. I learned the cameraman's name was Andrew, and he was my official Selection photographer. He then turned the camera on and started a mini-interview, in which I told him about my 'makeover'. He smiled at me and the red light turned off. "Thank you for your time." He said, and I went over to join another girl who had just finished her interview with another camera crew.

"Hi." I said when I arrived. "I'm Skylar." I smiled. The girl smiled at me, offering her hand. "I'm Cassopeia but people normally call me Cassie." Cassie had strawberry blonde hair and blue-green eyes. But in here hair I saw a hint of pink. I looked at it for a second before realising it was natural. It didn't have that fake gleam. "I love your name, and your hair." I said, realising I had been looking at her for a little too long. "It's natural, right?" Her lips parted slightly in surprise at me. "Yeah, it is. How did you know?" I sat down next to her.I gestured and brought my lips up until they were hovering by her ear. "I'm a wizard Harry." I whispered with a light British accent, which caused us both to laugh. After we stopped, which took a while, she looked at me. "But seriously, how did you know?" "It didn't have that fake look I guess. I don't really know to be honest. I could just…tell?" It came out more like a question. "Geez. You're smart then." I shook my head, grinning. "Only on paper," I said, and she rolled her eyes. "Yeah right." She replied

"Ladies!" Followed by a few quick claps came from the other side of the room. We all took the actions as our cue to head over. When we did, I immediately knew that this woman would be in charge of us. "My name is Sylvia. I hope you have enjoyed your time at the palace so far!" She chimed, reminding me of a character, Effie, from a book I had read. "I'm here for you throughout the selection process. You will take lessons from me, and come to me for anything that you might need help with. I will also be giving you tasks each week, which you will learn more about later. For now, we will go over to the dining room. You will learn a bit about etiquette, and then you will meet the royal family. So without further ado, follow me!"

We all flocked behind her, admiring the beautiful palace. From the women's room, we turned left into a luscious hallway, adorned with a red rug and expensive-looking paintings of Illean landscapes. "This is the central wing," Began Sylvia. "From here, the Women's Room, Men's Parlour, Dining Room, Library, Great Room, Ballroom and Music Room are easy to find. If you ever get lost, ask any guards or maids and they will be happy to help. This is the dining room." Two guards opened the doors for us and we stepped inside. The room made the central wing look like a dark alleyway. Chandeliers (lit up by candles, of course) hung from the roof, giving the room an effortless glow. A huge oak wood Grandfather Clock was at one of of the room, and a large window with a view of the gardens was at the other. Peering outside, I noticed it was dark out already. Time flies inside the palace, I guess. "Have a seat, Ladies." Sylvia chimes again.

I find a random seat about midway up the table and take one glance at the setting in front of me. three forks, three spoons and way to many plates to be normal. Sylvia perches at the head of the table. "Before the royal family arrive, which is in about five minutes, you need to know what all of the items in front of you are, as well as what they are used for and when to use them." I look around the room. Some girls look comfortable, as if they are in their element. Those are all the Twos and high Threes. Others look nonchalant, and some look scared to death. I am a little apprehensive but try not to let it show. If I can preform the world's hardest pointe routine, I can learn a table setting.

Sylvia teaches and quizzes about Salad forks, soup spoons and glasses for the next four and a half minutes. Then after reminding us to curtsy when the royals come in, she disappears out the door, giving us about thirty seconds to compose ourselves before the arrival of the King, Queen and Prince. I go over the table setting in my head. The water glass is furthest from me, followed by the Red wine and white wine glass. I've got the soup spoon, teaspoon and knife on my right as well as my salad and dinner forks on my left. I smile to myself, happy to have learnt a 16-item place setting in under five minutes.

Suddenly, the doors open and in come the King and Queen. Everyone remembers to stand and curtsy, thank god. I take a moment to look at the royals. The Queen, Amberly Schreave has gorgeous dark hair and lively brown eyes. She has a certain aura to her, an aura of importance. Clarkson Schreave, the King, is the opposite. He has dirty blonde hair and faded blue eyes. Together they look regal as ever, the perfect couple.

The King addresses us first. "Hello Ladies." All my good thoughts about him are gone the moment he opens his mouth. His voice has a warm blanket draped over it, something I can tell is fake right away. His eyes give away his true emotions. Annoyed, a little frustrated and unsure. He continues, "Welcome to the palace. I trust you have settled in well." He is met with a number of positive responses.

"When you go back to your rooms tonight, your maids will answer any questions you might have about the palace and what we do and don't condone here. I am excited for my son, Prince Hayden, and trust he can find a suitable wife among you. Good luck." He was lying through his teeth for the last part. I wonder what his problem is. Just then none other than Prince Hayden walks through the door. Backs, hair and dresses are straightened, and I resist the urge to laugh at the response that Hayden's presence brought to the room, the same response he seems oblivious to.

"Welcome to the palace Ladies. I look forward to getting to know you all, and I am excited to find someone who will be my wife and a queen of Illea." Pause. He swallows, and I smile to myself. He finds the seemingly effortless public speaking nerve wracking. "Tonight I will be taking you aside one at a time to get to know you briefly. I know this is an interesting situation to be in, but please, be yourselves. Thank you; and please enjoy your meals." He finishes, going up to the first girl and offering her his hand to lead her over to a couched area in the corner.

The girl next to me puts a mouthful of food in her mouth before moaning quietly in contentment and turning to me. "This is so good!" I smile and take a bite myself. I have to will my eyes not to widen. We have pretty decent food at the studio, but nothing compared to this. The girl who was talking to me is… Odette Toil, a five. I'd recognise the auburn hair anywhere. I nod to show my agreement. "It's delicious!" A the girl across the table scoffs at me. A two no doubt. And not just any two, Leah Sacks, the bitch from the plane. "Peasants," she mutters under her breath. I will my mouth not to fall open. Rude much?

Odette and I ignore her, turning to each other instead. "You're Odette, right?" I ask first, not wanting to address her wrong the first time. She nods, mouth full of food. I blush, having caught her in an awkward moment. She swallows quickly.

"Yep! You must be smart to know everyone's names. But I do know you, Skylar Roseabelle." I look at her, confused. She elaborates. "I'm from Belcourt, right next to Kent. My sister is a dancer, and she loves you! She was going to start going to your studio, actually, before this all started." I beam. "Really?" Odette nods. "We went to watch your audition performance last year for the Angeles Advanced Dance Company, you are amazing!" I remember that performance, I did 6 pirouettes instead of 7, so I was really annoyed at myself. I got in regardless. "Thanks," I smile. "No matter how this ends, I promise I can teach your sister something sometime." I say to her.

"Seriously? She'd love that!" I just smile at my new friend.

"Any time."

We talk for a little bit longer about things that don't matter, when out of nowhere, a hand appears behind Odette's shoulder. "Would you like to join me?" The Prince Hayden asks her. She smiles and accepts, walking with him over to the couches. I keep eating in silence, smiling for the cameras. After about five minutes, a hand appears at my shoulder. I look up to see the charming prince looking down at me. "Shall we?" He asks me. Up until now I've never thought about where I want to go with the selection. it's no lie that the prince is stunning, but husband material? And could I really be a princess? I decide not to say no, but not to say yes either. Not until he drops the formal act and I can get to know him better. Then I will decide.

I smile and stand, accepting his hand.

"We shall."

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**A/N: OMG GUYS SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG! I just haven't had the time. If you guys want to stop reading now and come back in like few months when I have more of the story done, I understand. I suck at updating. **

**But to those who stay, thoughts? Reviews? Any plot suggestions? Thanks for staying with me. **

**Xx -Me **


	4. Anyone Ever Called You Skylar Rose?

**A/N: I don't own the Selection. Let's get on with this!**

**[Skylar POV]**

Prince Hayden leads me over to the couches where he interviewed everyone and we have a seat.

"So…" I start. "How's life?" I say, then cringe at my awful conversation starter.

"Not one to start conversations, are you….?" He says, trailing off at the end.

"Skylar. And no, I do the dancing, my brother does the talking." I smile, easing into my natural charisma. "Skylar," he says my name, testing it out. "What's your middle name?" he asks me. I shrug. "I don't know. My parents died when I was younger, and so I was raised by my brother. They never told me, and he doesn't know. My last name is Roseabelle, if that helps." He nods, looking solemn at my not-so-tragic-but-still-sad backstory.

"Skylar Roseabelle. Has anyone ever called you Skylar Rose?" I shake my head. "Skylar Rose it is!" he says happily. "Nice to meet you, I'm Hayden. Not Prince Hayden, not 'His Royal Highness', just Hayden, if you will." I nod, smiling. "Of course."

"So, just Hayden, how are you? This must be difficult for you, trying to find a wife in amongst all 25 of us." He seems taken aback by my question. "Maybe not as difficult as I thought, Skylar Rose. Of all 15 girls I've already talked to, you're the first to ask me anything about myself." My eyes widen. "They do realize that this is a two-way-thing, right?" He shrugs. "But seriously, how are you?"

He smiles. "I'm to be expected, with 25 women living in my house all of a sudden. I'm so used to being the only child, you know?" Hayden tilts his head. I nod. "Enough about me, what about you? How are you doing?"

"And the interrogation begins." I say, and we both laugh. "This is all so much at once I don't even know where to start. Don't get me wrong, it's been amazing, but a little bit overwhelming, you know? All of a sudden, I'm not 'The one who dances,' I'm 'the one from Kent.' And I'm in The Selection, I mean; It's all so surreal. I say to him. "I hope it doesn't get too overwhelming for you, Skylar Rose, because I would love for you to stay for a bit." Hayden tells me and I have to try so, so hard to fight the blush on my cheeks.

"So what do you like to do? In your free time?" He asks.

"I'm a dancer," I say, without missing a beat. He perks up. "Ooh! Something original! Everyone else is a singer, or a horse rider, or a model. It's getting quite boring, to be honest." He says and I laugh a little. He suddenly grows anxious for a second, looking around. "Don't tell anyone I said that, I'm supposed to like everyone." I giggle. Wait? Giggle?! Since when do I giggle? "Don't worry Hayden, your secret's safe with me."

He breaths out in relief. "Thank you. Anyway, you're a dancer…" He says, trying to get me to continue. I oblige. "I'm a dancer, I have been since… forever really. I used to be a Five, but a family of Twos saw me dancing when I was 11, and they helped our family buy our way up to Threes. I started teaching the Two's daughter, Delilah when I was about 13, and when I was 15 I started up a dance studio in Kent."

He raises his eyebrows. "You must be and amazing dancer. You'll have to show me sometime."

"I've just always done what I do. I could never have done any of it without Jon, though." I say, frowning slightly. I miss Jon so much already. The prince's eyes darken for a second. "Jon is my brother." I say quickly, and he smiles, nodding once. "We're really close, we have been since my parents died, just before we started moving up." He's running the studio while I'm away." I hope Jon's doing all right. It's a lot of work, running the studio and everyone in it.

"Wait, so you teach and run the studio?" He says. I smile.

"I just do what I do." I say again.

"My father made me look at all the applications before everyone arrived. You were one of the few that stood out to me, actually. Your picture, for starts."

"What was my picture?" I realize I never asked the girls.

"Your hair was blowing everywhere, and you were going to put one strand back in place. You were smiling, and your eyes, they glowed. Kind of like they are now. You look beautiful." He tells me, and I don't miss the present tense. All efforts to hide my blush fail. I remember that picture being taken, it was when I got my accepted into the Angeles Advanced Dance Company. I was truly happy then. The Intermediate 3's lesson had just finished, and we were all standing at the end of the street, waiting for Jon who had run to the community office to get the letter. When we opened it, we all started squealing and jumping up and down. I was really, truly happy. But Hayden hadn't finished.

"And my father saw me, and told me to look at your school records." I cringe a little. "Oh no, they were probably awful. I barely study, I'm so focused on the studio and dance."

"So you don't study, and you still get top marks, every, single time?" He says, his eyebrows sky-high again. I open my mouth to argue, but then realize he's right.

"I guess so?" I say sheepishly.

He smiles at me. "You… You wouldn't mind staying behind for a little, would you? You'll know when." I nod warily. "Okay."

"So, besides your princely duties, what do you do? For fun I mean." Hayden brightens, and I can tell, like me, he is passionate about what he does.

"I write music" He starts. "Um, I taught my self how to play piano when I was a kid. I started writing songs about ten years ago, and I sing a little." He says, smiling. I can see straight through him. "Stop being modest, I bet you're amazing." I say, knowing full well that he will be.

"I'll show you sometime," he says, and I get the feeling he doesn't show everyone. I smile at him. "I would like that."

He quickly glances at the grandfather clock, and gulps, looking nervous for less than a millisecond before he composes himself. "Sorry Skylar Rose, but we should probably head back now. We've been talking for almost twice as long as I have with anyone else."

"Oh my gosh! Sorry, we probably should, I wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression." I don't miss the steady glare Monica Pratt is sending my way. There are a couple of other girls eying me as well, and I suddenly feel extremely exposed in my dress. Hayden takes my hand and plants a kiss on it. "Until next time, Skylar Rose," He says and I smile at him, in fact the last little bit I have probably smiled more than the last seven days combined. "Until then, Hayden." I say before he places his hand on my back to escort me back to my seat. Nobody else can probably see it, but I feel so light, almost like I'm glowing, and when I sit back down, Odette is grinning mischievously at me.

"Well someone had fun," she said, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. I am quick to look nonchalant again, but she didn't miss a thing.

"We were just talking, same as everyone else." I say, shrugging but struggling to hide my smile as I take another bite. Odette grins again.

"Yes, but you see, you were both laughing, and then you were blushing, and then you blushed again, and then you both laughed yet _again_. I don't think I was the only one who noticed, either." She said, shifting her eyes to Monica, who looked frankly disgusted, and then back to me.

I try to change the topic. "So how was your conversation?" I ask her. She looks puzzled for a second before answering. "It was okay I guess. He didn't really let loose though, you know? I know he must be stressed, having 25 girls in his house all of a sudden, but you could clearly see he was Royal, from the way he sat to the way he talked. The whole thing seemed a bit… forced." I just nodded, tired all of a sudden. . "Yeah, I see what you mean." I say without really thinking about it. Odette rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Sure you do. You sat back down here, practically glowing." She joked.

We talked for the rest of the night, getting to know each other better.

"So what do you want to be? What do you want to do?" I ask her. She blushes. "I know it's stupid, and I'm not even in the right caste, but I've always wanted to be a teacher." She says, passion in her eyes. A thought hits me.

"But you can be! You're a three now, remember? There's no reason why you can't." Odette brightens at the realization and smiles at me, saying sarcastically, "Your brain will come in handy, I can see it already." I laugh with her and we keep talking.

Towards the end of the meal, the Queen sands up, successfully gaining our attention within seconds. "Ladies, I hope you have enjoyed your first meals at the palace. Hopefully you will have many more. I would just like to talk to you about tomorrow. It will be Saturday, which means you will receive your weekly tasks. Breakfast will be served at Nine O'clock sharp; please be on time. Your maids will be there for you when you wake up. Immediately after breakfast, you are to make your way to the Women's Room, where I will give you all your tasks for the week. Most tasks will be presented on The Report, however occasionally you will present your task to the other Ladies a week from receiving them. I will see you all tomorrow. Have a wonderful night." She says, before exiting. The king follows shortly after, giving us nothing but a curt nod and a "Good Night, Ladies."

Prince Hayden then stood to talk to us. "Ladies, I have had an amazing time meeting you all tonight." He looks down for a second. "Ah, of I asked you to stay, please wait here for a moment. If I did not, please follow me." 5 girls stand up and follow him out of the room. The rest of us wait in an awkward silence before Hayden comes back in, alone. I suddenly realize they were eliminated. The glowing feeling I had deflates as I step back into reality. This isn't just a fun experience. I could be eliminated at any time. And I know I don't really know him, but I want to go home any time soon. Hayden's eyes sweep the room, and I swear they brighten a little when they meet mine. He moves on quickly, though, not wanting to be obvious to the others.

"Thank you for your patience, ladies. There are several guards outside that will escort you to your rooms. Your maids are waiting to help you prepare for bed. I hope to see all of you soon. Good night." He says before exiting the room.

Monica is the first to stand to leave. She opens her mouth but pauses, unsure of what to say. She simply closes her mouth and stalks off. One by one people stand awkwardly and then leave, not really sure weather to address their competition. I hate how people think of it that way, a competition. Prize being: Hayden. It's the rest of your life, but some people seem to think of it as a petty game. The last girl stands, gives us a half-hearted smile, and then leaves. We look at each other for a split second, and then burst out laughing. Everyone was so awkward.

"What's so funny, ladies?" I hear from behind me. Odette and I whip around to see Hayden there, and I immediately think something up.

"The other selected just seem… unsure how to act around each other. The ice looks a little thick for most of them." I say, hoping I don't sound like an idiot.

"Dancer and a quick thinker? Don't let the others underestimate you, Skylar Rose. I wouldn't count you out." I immediately blush and notice Odette standing, slightly awkward, so I reply with, "Don't go discounting Odette here, either, She's going to be a teacher." I say, and Odette smiles at me, then at Hayden, who just nods, smiling.

"And compassionate? No, I wouldn't count any of you out," he says, reaching to get a stack of papers from where he was sitting before and then leaving the room. Odette breathes out in relief.

"Thank you so much, I kind of froze."

"Any time." I say to her. We head out of the dining room together, and it turns out we have rooms next to each other, as well. We pause just by the doors to say goodnight and then go into our respective rooms.

In my room, three maids immediately stand up when they see me come in. I smile. "Hi ladies, I'm Skylar." I say to them, and the curtsy. "Please, don't curtsy, it makes me feel weird," I say. "So what are your names?" One of them steps forwards. "I'm Kate, Lady Skylar. It's an honor to be your maid."

"Oh please Kate, no need for such formalities, we're equals." I say to her. She has blonde-brown hair and a fringe that frames her face, I see a bit of hair pinned back as well.

"I'm Annette", another woman steps forward. "I'm 16, and Kate is my sister. It's so great to meet you." She tells me. I smile at her. "It's so great to meet you, too, Annette."

The last woman comes forwards. "I'm Katrina, I'm 20 and I love making dresses. Most of the dresses are designed my me, but Kate puts them together and Annette is great with details." I smile at her.

"Well, Kate, Annette, Katrina, I must say, it's an honor getting to see you. All the backstage work here never gets acknowledged, and I think it should be, so thank you. Now, we're all friends here, so please call me Skylar! I'm not one for titles."

We talk for a little about the morning, and where I can find a place to practice dance. Not tomorrow morning, but by midday they said, they can have a studio ready for me to use.

After helping me get ready for bed, my maids retire themselves. The bed is by far the softest thing I have ever slept on. So it's not surprise that looking out the window at the stars, my mind wanders. Imagine, for a moment, that I'm not a dancer. I'm a princess. And to be honest, the fantasy doesn't sound that bad at all.

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took so long! It's been crazy. This story may seem slow now, but slowly I will make it my masterpiece. Trust me, if anything, I'm stubborn and determined. I taught myself how to use chopsticks by refusing to ask for a fork for an entire meal. No joke.**

**Until next time my cookies!**

**Kisses **

**-A **

**(Haha I started watching Pretty Little Liars, look what it has done to me)**


	5. I'll Pick You Up At 7

** A/N At the bottom :)**  
** Happy Reading!**

**[Skylar POV]**

The next morning I wake up with the sun, which is apparently slightly later here in Angeles. I decide to change into some comfortable clothes that I can dance in. My maids said that there is an old studio in the palace, and they might be able to get it cleared out for the selected to use. In the meantime, I just stretch and go over some basic barre in my room. After about an hour of this, my maids arrive.

"Good Morning, Lady Skylar," Annette says and I smile at her. "Remember, titles make me feel weird, Lady Annette," I say jokingly and she blushes.

"Of course, Skylar," she says in reply. I watch them mill around doing various tasks for all of 5 seconds before I interrupt. "Is there anything I can help with?" I am used to being the one to organize other's lives. I wonder how the girls and Jon are doing now that I'm not there to boss them around. Hopefully they will all be ready for the scouts in time. Back here in Angeles, my maids look surprised.

"Of course not! Please, just relax La- Skyler," Kate frets. I tell them to let me know if they ever need my help. They seem so surprised I asked. Is this really the life they are used to? Running around working while others sit there doing nothing? It all seems so foreign to me. Katrina seems to sense this. "Don't worry, really, we actually quite enjoy our work as maids." I smile at her.

"So what's first on the agenda today?" I ask while they get me ready. Apparently, I am to be at breakfast at 9 and then get my task in the woman's room. I inquire about the task, but they don't seem to know much about it. "Sorry Skylar, but those things are kept locked up tight. Can't have girls having unfair advantages," Anette says, but I detect a hint of sarcasm in her last sentence.

"I take it you heard about the table placements last night, then?" She looks up sharply and blushes. "To be honest, I think quite a few of the tasks will favor certain people. But then again, nobody is ever on an equal playing field." I tell her. She just nods.

Next thing I know, I am staring at another gorgeous dress. While last night's dress was floor length, this one falls to my knees. It is a simple sleeveless lilac dress with a few white flowers dotted around the hem. My maids pair it with strappy lilac heels and an off-white cardigan in case I get cold. My hair falls naturally, and out like this it reaches mid-back. It's much more casual than the dress last night, but it's still more formal than my usual shorts-and-whatever-top approach to life. I gush about it for about 10 minutes before they lightheartedly shoo me away to breakfast.

I get to the dining hall a few minutes early and find a different seat to last night. I end up across from Cassie, which I'm happy about. We complement each other on clothes and hair while everyone finds a seat.

"Wow, your maids are amazing! That color is gorgeous on you!" I hear from my right. I turn and find a girl with golden skin looking straight at my dress. "I'm Tessa, Tessa Kelly. From Bankston," Ah, that explains the tanned skin. Bankston is a coastal province, right next to Paloma. I extend my hand to her in greeting and offer up my name. "Your outfit is stunning, too," I tell her. Her maids have placed her in a simple teal dress with a yellow belt and yellow heals. She's easily the most eye-catching in the room.

Cassie, Tessa and I speculate about what the task could be. We agree it must be something introductory, but aren't sure what exactly we will need to do. "Did they send officials to record you doing everyday things?" I ask, remembering my class. Tessa nods. "They came to see me working," I smile, "What kind of work do you do?" She brightens and I can see I have found another person who is passionate about what they do. "Well, I'm only 19, but I finished school at the end of last year so I've been trying to start my own business. I'm a four, my parents own an interior design chain but I would love to start up a business in technology."

"Oh wow, that sounds amazing! I've never really had much to do with technology being a five and all, but now hopefully I can change that!" Cassie says from in front of us. Tessa smiles in appreciation, nodding her thanks. She opens her mouth to start speaking but at that exact moment the doors open and in walk the royal family.

We all stand and curtsy, and similar to last night, everyone brightens as Hayden walks in. The king bids us good morning and we quickly get to eating. In this new spot, I am much closer to the head of the table and therefore the royal family. Tessa exchanges polite conversation with the queen while Cassie and I talk about our night's sleep. Before we know it, the meal is over.

We meander over to the women's room for the first time, and everything about the room says elegance. All the furniture is pristine white with pastel green accents. Two dainty chandeliers hang from the ceiling and a long, cushioned window seat overlooks the gardens. In one corner, a desk coated in neat stacks of paper signals that the queen does in fact spent some time here. Odette quickly finds me and we take a seat on one of the many plush couches.

Sylvia and Queen Amberly stand at the front of the room. Slightly to their left are half a dozen maids holding folders. I assume these are our tasks. "Hello ladies, I hope you have had a wonderful first night at the palace," Queen Amberly says. She is met with a chorus of consent before continuing. "Now, Sylvia here would like to give you a little bit of background on these tasks."  
Sylvia takes a step forward. "Ladies, as you all know, Prince Hayden may eliminate any of you as he deems fit, however we also have a few set eliminations," She begins. "It is important that His Highness chooses not only a wife, but also a future Queen of Illea. This means the lady which he selects will need to have a few certain skills. These tasks will assist you in gaining these skills, if you do not already have them. Each week, on a Saturday morning, you are all to report here after breakfast to be briefed on your task for the week. We also request that you work in this room for at least an hour afterwards.

"These tasks will range from planning events to writing speeches and even attending strategy meetings. Usually, your tasks will be presented on The Report each Friday, however there are some tasks that will be presented on the following Saturday, and not to the country. Several aspects of your tasks will vary from week to week, specifically eliminations, and so Queen Amberly or

myself will explain these to you each week."  
Queen Amberly continued. "Thank you Sylvia. Now, onto this week's task! As you girls are still settling in, we have decided to start simple and build our way up in difficulty as The Selection progresses. This week, each of you will be required to make a short video, about 3 minutes in length, introducing yourself. These will need to be given to Sylvia no later than midday on Friday. Just so that you are aware, Prince Hayden will also make a statement about you and this will be added to your video so that the rest of the country can see that aspect of your relationship. All the details of your task are outlined in your folders," As she mentions the folders, the maids start handing them out. I thank the maid who gives me my folder, but notice that in doing so I am part of the minority.

"Once I have explained this week to you, each of you will be assigned a member of the technology department here at the palace. These people are extremely knowledgeable about technology and will assist you in putting your movie together. Are there any inquiries about the task?" One girl asks about footage, and Queen Amberly reminds her about the videos taken by the selection officials that came to visit. I notice her seeming to get tired, and my suspicions are confirmed when she politely wishes us good luck and swiftly leaves the room. Nobody else seemed to pick up on it.

Sylvia picks up right where the Queen left off. "So, in order for the Prince to make a statement about you in your video, he needs to know at least a little about who you are. Over the next week, Prince Hayden will be taking each of you out on a date. Your maids will be notified if this happens, so you will be able to properly prepare. Okay, that's it for the information today, feel free to spread out around the room and get to work! I also believe the first date card will be coming."

Odette and I make a beeline for the window seat, choosing to sit in the far corner. So, what footage did the officials get of you?" She asks me.

"Me dancing and me teaching. I think I'll record more footage while I'm here, if I can. My maids mentioned clearing out an old dance instructing room so that we can use it. What about you?"

"I think mostly just painting, but there might be a few of me playing the piano?" I tell her the story of my failed attempts at playing the piano when I was a five and she promises to teach me how to not kill the ears of anyone in a 5-mile radius.  
For the next five minutes, we pore over our folders, and after about half an hour, we both have rough storyboards. All of a sudden, two maids carrying ornate silver trays enter the room. Most girls either don't notice or pay no attention, so I turn back to my task. Just as I am about to show Odette my storyboard, one of the two appears in front of me. "Lady Skylar," she says, lowering the plate so that I can take a crisp white envelope off of it. I thank her and flip over the envelope, finding "Lady Skylar" in elegant cursive. I open the letter inside.

_Skylar Rose, _  
_Would do me the honor of joining me for dinner? _  
_I will pick you up from your room at promptly 7 o'clock. _

_Yours truly, _  
_Hayden _

_P.S. Try to think of some conversation starters!_

I smile at the post script. The letter is marked with his seal, and I trace it with my finger. I fold the letter up and place it back in the envelope, putting the envelope in the first page of my folder. Looking around, I notice Tessa also received one.

"Dinner?" She simply asks. I feel many eyes on me, particularly a pair from Yukon. Monica. I pretend not to notice.

"Yep. You've got lunch then, I'd guess." She affirms before telling everyone she'll see them later, and we wish her good luck (Well, some of us do. Again, in doing so, I am part of the minority) just as she is leaving.

By 6 o'clock, Odette and I have finished our storyboards and explored the palace. We spent a good 2 hours in the music room, and have struck a deal. I will help her with her technology problems and she will record some backing music on the piano. At 6, she practically pushes me into my room to get ready.

**NINJA PAGE BREAK**

A while later, I hear a knock at my door. I count to three before opening it, coming face to face with The Crown Prince of Illea. "Lady Skylar," He says, placing a delicate kiss on my hand. "Prince  
Hayden," I respond and he smiles, offering me his arm. I accept and he leads me down to the ground floor.

"So, where are we going?" I ask as we walk past another elaborate painting.

"First I thought we'd take a walk around the Greenhouse, apparently it's been decorated in honor of you being here." He tells me and an amused expression crosses my face.

"What, just for me?"

"Yes, I specifically asked that should a lady named Skylar be selected, they decorate the Greenhouse," He jokes. Just as I am about to reply, he leads us outside. The gardens are stunning- flowers of all colors bloom in every corner, an elaborate fountain stands in the center and small benches are dotted about here and there. Off in the distance I think I can even see a gazebo.

"Wow." I breathe out. Sure, I saw parts of the garden this morning in the Women's Room, but that must have been a different area.

"My mother loves these gardens, as you could probably tell." Hayden says.

"I can see why." We walk through some of the gardens, but stay relatively close to the palace. I notice then that we are moving around to the eastern side.

"So, Skylar Rose, how has your first full day at the palace been?" He asks me.

Smiling at his nickname for me, I take a moment before replying. How has my first day been? Well, I certain can't complain about the accommodation. The grandeur of the palace is beyond anything I have ever seen before. But, then again, it's odd to not chase up the girls. Normally I'm like their mother. I miss them already, especially Jon and Lilah, but I'm excited about the new task. "Different. But I think that's a good thing. We got our tasks this morning." I finally answer, and he nods.

"Mum told me yesterday. If you need any help with the video by the way, don't be scared to ask me." I laugh a little, and Hayden looks at me in confusion.

"Well, it's just, to the rest of the world, she's Her Majesty Queen Amberly Schreave of Illea, and to you she's mum." I explain.

He laughs too. "I've never thought of her like that. Perspectives and all, I guess."

We round the corner and the Greenhouse comes into view. I can see light radiating from inside of it. It seems to be more of an Orangery than a greenhouse. 3 of the 4 walls are brick, ivy climbs up the sides. There are 2 visible windows, however thick curtains have been drawn so I can't see in. The Schreave Crest, however, is visible above the doors, and shockingly there are only 2 guards in sight.

Hayden and I walk inside and my eyes widen. They have certainly decorated for the selected. Fairy lights adorn every tree trunk, every flower bed. They climb the walls like the ivy outside, creating a soft glow and magical feel to the place.

"I find I prefer the greenhouse to the gardens." Hayden says, and I can only nod, smiling. "It's beautiful." We start to walk around the first floor – he tells me that there are two floors. As we walk we begin to get to know each other.

"Let's play a game," Comes from beside me. I look at him, taken aback. "A game. To get to know each other," he explains, I agree and we decide on a game of would you rather.  
Hayden starts. "Would you rather be able to fly or read minds?" I respond almost immediately.

"Read minds, flying is overrated," I say simply. Hayden chuckles. I think for a minute before asking him my question.

"Would you rather go to a crowded concert or a quiet picnic?" I'm curious to see if he's one of those people who like crowds or not.

"I'd prefer the picnic. I don't really dislike crowds per se, but I'm constantly surrounded by busy people and it'd be nice to just have some time to myself to relax, you know?" He responds. "Okay next, would you rather break your arm or break your leg?" I shudder and answer.

"Arm. I can still dance with a broken arm, even if I have to wait a while. If I break my leg, or worse, my ankle, my chances of being able to dance like I can now? Pretty small. That's probably one of my biggest fears, not being able to do the thing that I love." I confess, shocking myself a little in the process. I need to be careful, I'm opening up really quickly. Hayden seems vaguely surprised at my admission as well, but hides it well.

"Would you rather be able to go forwards in time or backwards?" I ask as we stop at a particularly bright patch of flowers. These ones have small, dainty petals, and come in vibrant pink, red and purple. The lights on the flower bed give them the appearance of shining.

He pauses for a minute, thinking. "Forwards. I need to make a very important decision over the next while. I think I'd just like some reassurance that it'll all work out, in the end."

I smile. "I'm probably not the most qualified person to give you advice, but, I think, whatever happens, just remember to find yourself a wife, not just a queen." He tilts his head at me, considering, before nodding once. We continue onwards.

"Would you rather be a famous author or famous actor?" He asks.

"Being an actor would be fun, it's like being payed to pretend every day. But then again… books. Probably an author, I think. But I have no clue what my book would be about," I say lightly."Maybe something dystopian? I spend a lot of time, probably too much time actually, thinking about my future." I admit hesitantly.

Hayden nods. "But It's good to know where you want to go. The kind of person you want to become. It gives you something to work towards. Okay, would you rather leave Illea and travel for the rest of your life or never leave the country?" I have to think for a while. I love exploring new places, learning about new cultures and ways of life and a life of travel would certainly be fun, but then again, I could never leave the studio. It's my home, where I belong. I tell Hayden as much.

"Tell me more about the studio, it's been a while since I've met someone who is so passionate about what they love." He says.

"Well, I've already told you I run it and teach it, but Jon does most of the finances and logistics. Ah, what else... Well, the kids are all different ages. The youngest, Adeline, is 4 and the eldest I guess is Lilah, my best friend. She's 16, almost 17." I say. "The property is pretty big, my brother and I live there. We actually have a dorm system running. Anyone who needs a place to live can come and stay for as long as they need." Hayden pauses, thinking for a moment.

"What about castes?" He says as we come to stop at the fountain I was hearing before.

"What about them?" I ask, confused.

"You'd probably get a lot of fives, but is there a limit of castes that you teach or house?" Well, Hayden, prepare to be surprised.

"Of course not! Yes, a large portion of them are fives like I used to be, but we have kids who are twos and kids who are eights. The sixes and under almost always stay at the dorms, and I look after them. A lot of them have nowhere else to go." His eyebrows go soaring.

"You're giving eights a place to live. My gosh, Skylar Rose, you're incredible!" He says, smiling down at me and I blush.

"Not really, I'm just trying to give them a chance to make something of themselves, you know? Show them how to live." I say passionately. Hayden just looks at me, awe etched into his face, smiling and shaking his head.

"I don't know, Hayden, I just wish I could do more," I'm on a roll now, and I know I'm just going to keep talking until I get this off my chest. "I wish I could, I don't know, give them more. More things to explore, to find something that they truly, deeply love. A proper education! So that they can go off and change the world. It's just… It's just so hard for them. The first eight that came to me, her name's Lou, was 8 years old. Her family, they couldn't help her. She walked all the way from the other side of the province, alone, because she heard there might be someone who could help her. Imagine what would have happened to her if I couldn't have been there? I just-"

"Skylar Rose, stop." Hayden interrupts and I look up at him. "You're, you've saved these kids' lives. You've given them all a chance to make something of themselves. You're 17, and you've done more than most people do in their entire lives. What you've done, it's truly amazing." He pauses, thinking for a moment.

"What if we could do more. Together?" He asks me, a grin spreading across his face.

"How?" I ask, hope in my eyes.

"My mother, you remind me of her. She cares deeply about philanthropy. We're going to meet with her tomorrow and talk about this. See what we can do. I assure you, no matter how the selection ends, we will help those kids." I beam and thank him a million times over.

"Sorry about my rant, by the way. You know how it is when someone's passionate about something." I say, blushing. He just laughs and suggests we eat now. I nod enthusiastically.

We locate the stairway in the corner and climb to the second story. While the first floor was illuminated only by fairy lights, this one has a whole different type of lighting. Three of the four walls are brick, but the other is glass. From here, you can see the entire city of Angeles. In the darkness, the city lights are captivating.

I stand there, staring for a minute or two. Hayden chuckles.

"It's truly something, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I say, tearing my gaze away from the window-wall and back to him. It's then that I notice the outdoor furniture, set with a delicious-looking dinner and a single candle.

"Let's eat," Hayden says simply.

Our meal does not disappoint. The food is just as good as it looks, if not better. We get to know each other during the course of the meal, sharing past experiences and laughing about out different upbringings.

When it comes time to leave, I sigh, not wanting this night to end. I feel like I'm in a bubble of happiness, sheltered from the rest of the world. Life is good. Hayden walks me back to my room, and in the quick glances of the large grandfather clock in one of the hallways, I see we've been together for more than four hours. Needless to say, it's late and I am starting to get tired.  
We pause outside my door, and Hayden turns to look at me.

"I think tonight was pretty successful, don't you?" He asks.

"Certainly, your highness," I say lightly.

"Thank you very much, Lady Skylar. It's nice to just have fun again." He delicately takes my hand and places a gentle kiss on the back of it.

"No, thank you." I say, smiling. Just as I am about to close the door behind me, he pipes up.

"Oh, and I've spoken to your maids. There's a dance studio in the North Wing ready for you to use. They'll give you directions."

**A/N: Okay it's been a long time, I know. But this chapter is a lot longer than what I normally write, so yay for that!**

**A couple of things: **

**1\. You'll probably notice that my writing style is really different to when I started the story, and that's because it's been about a year! Hopefully my writing is getting better? Anyway, I'm just going to keep writing whenever I feel like it, or when I have time. That means the writing will probably vary from chapter to chapter, but if I feel like it I'll go back and rewrite some. Not sure really.**

**2\. I live in New Zealand, so while I can adapt to use the american versions of most words, I just _can't _write mum as mom. That's not changing anytime soon. **

**3\. When I first posted this chapter, the formatting was all weird, it displayed formatting code or something. I've fixed that now (hopefully) so you can actually read it! Yay!**

**Thanks for reading!**  
Love ya! xxx


	6. Don't Worry

**A/N: This hasn't been beta'd, so sorry for any mistakes! I have read through it carefully, though. Another author's note at the bottom, but until then, enjoy!**

**[Skylar POV]**

The day after our date, the sky was picturesque, like in a movie. A gentle but warm sun bet down, and a very faint breeze meant that we weren't baked. Odette and I had spent most of the morning recording footage for her video in the music room, and it had turned out really well. We also had the background music now. Mine was piano, a complex song that I had already begun choreographing to in my head. Hers was an upbeat violin song, simpler, but just as beautiful. We now found ourselves in the gardens, sitting under a large tree next to the gazebo. We'd bumped into Cassie, a girl named Hope, and a girl named Amazon on our way down. Hope has gorgeous silky black hair and brown eyes, and Amazon has wavy brown hair and freckles. The five of us are getting to know each other.

We're currently going over everyone's interests. Hope and I have already gone (Hope's an actor on a comedy TV show), and it's Cassie's turn next.

"Well, I'm a five, and so I'm a stage actress," Cassie starts. "I mostly act, but I sometimes have to sing a little, too. Just before I left, actually, I did a play about a scandalous hotel." She giggles a bit, moving a piece of light pink hair that has fallen down.

"Wait wait wait! Was it called To Borrow or to Steal?" Asks Hope. When Cassie nods, Hope beams "I went to see it last month! Who did you play?"

"The maid! The one who knew all the gossip and fed people false information."

"OH MY GOSH! YOU WERE AMAZING!" Hope squeals. "I can't believe that was you!" I've quickly deduced that while, yes, Hope is quite loud and quite opinionated, she means the best. Cassie thanks her graciously.

"What about you, Amazon," I ask, "What do you like to do?"

She considers for a moment. "Well, I don't have a job at the moment, but my parents are both Real Estate Agents. I _was _training to follow in their footsteps, but we're threes now, so I think I'd like to start training to become a vet."

"And you'd get to work with adorable animals!" Says Odette.

"That's the plan," she smiles.

Just then, another two girls approach us. One of them has gorgeously tanned skin and the other has shoulder-length black hair. Anyone could recognise the second girl. Camille Mclaughlin is a famous Olympic athlete. The tanned girl is the first to speak up, though.

"Heya, I'm Kirsten, this is Camille," She says, and we all greet them. "Can we join you guys?"

"Of course," I say. "Have a seat. We're just talking about what we like to do."

"So far, we have Skylar, who is a dancer and looks after all her students, amazing really, Cassie, who is a stage actor, a great one at that, and Amazon who wants to be a vet. Fabulous choice, by the way!" Hope tells them.

"Nice. My little sister wants to be an actor!" Says Camille. Her and Cassie high-five.

"I'll go next," Odette declares. "I'm currently a musician, I play the piano, violin and guitar. But now that we're threes, I'd really like to become a teacher." She says, like she told me the other night.

"Little kids or older ones?" I ask.

"Um… I haven't actually given it much thought. Maybe in the middle. Middle schoolers! That's it!" She says happily. We all smile at her.

"My mom is a teacher," Kirsten says. "She says that middle schoolers are the best age because they're beginning to understand more complex stuff, but they're 'not all moody.'" We laugh at that. Odette gestures for Kirsten to go.

"Um, I'm from Paloma, and I'm a surfer,"

"So that explains your amazing tan!" Hope says, giggling. "Sorry, continue," she adds.

Kirsten smiles at Hopes antics. "I started surfing when I was 4 I think? My parents were both surfers as well."

"The water must be so warm there! I live in Atlin, which is pretty far north, and it's absolutely freezing!" Says Amazon.

"It's pretty warm, yeah, which is great." Kirsten tells us.

"And, last but not least, Camille. Not that we don't know what you do. But, oh, tell us anyway!" Hope enthusiastically says.

"Well, I'm an athlete. I've been to the Olympics once where I won gold for 100m sprint and silver for 200m." she says, like it's no big deal.

"That's so amazing though, I wish I could do something like that." Cassie says and Camille ducks her head.

"It's just, my thing I guess." She says plainly.

"Okay, new round, this one will be shorter, though." Starts Cassie. "Favourite book." We quickly learn that some of us love books and others don't really read too often. Odette and Amazon get into a heated discussion about which of them 'owns' Will Herondale, and I occasionally pipe up, having read the series as well. The others start to talk about TV, and Camille realises that Cassie guest starred in an episode of a show that she loves. Between all of the talking, we barely notice the maid who comes out with a silver platter with a crisp white envelope on top.

"Lady Kirsten?" Although we didn't notice her approach, the second the words come out of her mouth, we're all ears. The maid lowers the platter and Kirsten takes the familiar looking envelope off of it. The maid leaves, just as I utter our thanks on behalf of the group.

Kirsten reads the letter inside and smiles. "We're going to watch a movie after dinner tonight," She tells us, which brings on a round of cheers. So far, only Tessa and I have had dates, although apparently earlier Hayden was seen in the palace with Alayah, a two from Zuni who is basically a queen already.

All of sudden, I'm the topic of attention. "So, what's he like? Help a sister out here," Asks Kirsten.

"The prince? Um," I start, not really sure what to say. What _is _he like? Yesterday I certainly enjoyed his company. I thought he would have held back more, but he opened up quite quickly. Something stops me from telling everyone this, though. "He's sweet." I settle for.

Odette gives me a 'You've got to be joking' look. "Sweet? Really?" She deadpans, "That first night you two seemed pretty chummy if I remember correctly. What was it that he said? Something along the lines of 'I wouldn't count you out, don't let them underestimate you?' Or was it more like 'Sky, just kiss me already! You are my one and only true love!'" She jokes, making kissing noises. The others giggle and I just roll my eyes.

"Have fun, really. He's a great guy." I tell Kirsten. She just nods.

A guard comes up to us next, "Ladies, my apologies for interrupting, but Lunch is ready now." We all clamber up and follow him to the dining room, where he bows and opens the doors.

The rumours are confirmed when Alayah and Hayden are noticeable absent from the table, and it's hard not to notice how disappointed some girls seem. I suppose it's understandable, you want a nice comment on your video. I overheard Monica and Leah talking about how Hayden's doing three dates a day at the moment, from what they can tell. But that's not enough to get to everyone this week, which means that some girls may have much shorter dates, or not even get dates at all. Of course, Leah's not worried, having exited the room announcing she was going to figure out what to wear for her date tomorrow. There are some sour eyes that follow her out.

After lunch Odette helps me film footage in the palace's studio. It truly is gorgeous, mirrors adorn two out of four of the walls, and one of the other two is an enormous window, letting in masses of natural light. I can see myself choreographing in here all day, every day. Odette plays my backing track on the upright piano, and I play around with some potential moves. By late afternoon, we both have enough footage to start editing. We spend the rest of the afternoon in the Women's room, working on editing with the help of our guides. I've picked it up pretty quickly, but Odette is still struggling. There's still plenty of time, though.

**THE PAGE BREAK OF FABULOUSNESSES**

The next few days go much the same, I get up early and spend an hour or two in the studio, Odette and I spend time in the Womens room editing and getting to know the other girls, and my maids and I and talk about anything and everything. I squeeze in school where I can. Hayden goes on dates with another 10 girls and therefore is absent for most meals. I don't get a chance to talk to him at all, but I'm certainly not alone in that, which makes me feel a lot more secure.

On Wednesday, there's a slight change. I get up early, as usual, and head off to the studio. Tina has a competition comping up, so I start to work on a dance for her. It's on pointe, and I get warmed up before playing the music that we'd chosen together just before I left. I'm marking through the opening when the door opens. I spin to see Hayden standing in the doorway. "Skylar Rose? Can I come in?" He asks over the music.

"Of course," I respond going to turn off the speakers. "It's your palace, not mine." He smiles.

"Consider it your home, too," he says cryptically. "How are you? It's been a while now."

"Really great actually, I don't really know what I expected of the others when I came here but they've been mostly really nice" I say. I haven't bumped into Monica or Leah since Sunday, but I have a feeling they're up to something. Everyone else has been nothing but sweet. "And yourself? How's the speed dating going?" I joke, laughing lightly.

He lets out a light chuckle, and I find a fluttering feeling in my stomach. "It's been okay. I'll be the first to admit that I'm still quite overwhelmed, but these last few days have been a nice break from my usual schedule, which involves paperwork, more paperwork, meetings, lessons, planning, and oh, did I mention paperwork?" Hayden jokes, making me laugh. "In all seriousness, though, it's been slow since Saturday night." The night of our date. I smile sheepishly at him, blushing lightly.

I start fidgeting under his gaze, which mostly involves my foot bouncing in and out of pointe. He notices and asks me what I'm working on.

"One of the seniors, Tina, has a competition in a few months. I thought I'd get started on her dance. I also haven't done any pointe work since I left, so I thought I should probably stretch out the feet today."

"Well, I won't get you to show me now, but when you're finished the dance, can I see?" He asks me.

"Sure thing. At this rate, it should be done by the end of the week. There's a lot to inspire me out here, I really like it actually." I alternate between standing on flat feet and on pointe as I speak. Geez, I must be really nervous.

"Wait, do that again?" Hayden says.

"Do what again?"

"What you were doing just then, I don't know what it's called." I do a relevé into fifth position and tell him what it's called.

"Doesn't that hurt?" He seems genuinely astonished, and I giggle a little.

"No, not really. I mean, it hurt when I was just starting out, obviously, and when I have really long days it hurts a lot. But, I mean, it's ballet. Everything hurts," I joke, doing some more simple moves en pointe. I decide to show him one of the senior pointe combinations, one that doesn't involve too much other than the steps themselves. Regardless, he watches on, mesmerised.

"Why do you do it?" Hayden asks after I finish. He doesn't dare say it, probably for fear of seeming heartless, but I hear the unanswered questions anyway. I've heard them enough times in real life to know what they are. Why do you put yourself through that pain? Why do you push your body, your mind to the limit? Why do you spend years and years trying to stand on your toes?

"Because… I love it," I breathe out. My eyes find my pointe shoes. "You have to love it with every fibre of your being. And for me, dance was so easy to fall in love with. It's a way to express yourself without ever having to say anything, to get lost in a different world without leaving a room, it's exhilarating, it's liberating, it's…" I look up, quickly getting lost in Hayden's hazel-green eyes. We stay looking into each other's eyes for a moment, forgetting everything else.

As if by magic, we both snap out of our stupors. I blush lightly and I think I see a hint of a blush on his face as well.

"Ah, anyway, the reason why I came here in the first place," He says, rubbing the back of his neck. "I still want us to meet with my mother," He emphasises the word mother, teasing me for my observation on our date. "But this week is looking a little, busy, right now." He laughs awkwardly. "So… next week?"

"Hmm, I might be able to pencil you in," I tease, which earns me a grin. But then I remember the task for this week. "Wait, but you're not in charge of the task eliminations, are you? What if I fail at mine, and I end up going home?" I hadn't thought about it before, but now that the idea has presented itself, I can't help the sense of dread that fills me at the thought of leaving, and so soon, too.

But Hayden just smiles and shakes his head. "Don't worry, Skylar Rose. If I know anything about you at all, it's that you'll do absolutely fine. Trust me." I just nod.

"I'm really sorry, but I really should be going now. I've got a strategy meeting at seven thirty, which is in," He checks his watch, "Five minutes. I'll see you at dinner tonight, though."

"Yay." We both smiled.

Just as he's leaving, I call out to him. "Hayden?" He turns his head. "Thank you for clearing out this room. It's perfect." He says nothing, but leaves with an even bigger smile.

With a new bout of inspiration, I keep on dancing.

**A/N: Okay, so this one is slightly shorter, but I wanted to get something up for you guys! I've said time and time again that these updates will come quite infrequently, so if you like, you might want to just come back later. Like, in about six months probably. I'm going to finish this, I promise, it just might take a while. **

**Thanks so much for reading!**

**Love you guys xxx**


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